


Together, We Will Rule

by pasteldanhowells



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Mpreg, Phandom Big Bang, Phandom Big Bang 2018, Pregnant Dan Howell, Prince Phil Lester, Royalty, Soulmates, parent!phan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 13:25:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17002491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pasteldanhowells/pseuds/pasteldanhowells
Summary: Phil is the prince and soon to be future king, and hasn’t found his soulmate yet. Everybody in the kingdom is on edge waiting to know who will be the future princess. But, plot twist, his soulmate happens to be Dan (aka a boy, and not a princess), and everybody is shocked because being gay isn’t accepted with most people in the kingdom. But, it’s not Phil’s fault his soulmate turned out to be a boy, so things have to change whether the kingdom likes it or not. He and everyone else in the kingdom have to get used to this new idea of there being two kings rather than a king and a queen.





	Together, We Will Rule

Any day now, Prince Philip Lester would be finding out who his soulmate was. It’s the only thing around the kingdom people were talking about. They couldn’t wait to meet their new princess, and future queen.

Phil, however, is an absolute nervous wreck. He has no idea who the future queen is going to be. He’s already panicking about being the future king and worrying about failing or not.

_What if he and the queen don’t get along?_

_What if the queen is absolutely horrible and everyone in the kingdom hates her?_

There were so many worries and questions swirling around in Phil’s brain. He could hardly sleep.

It doesn’t take long before The King starts noticing Phil’s behavior. He can see how nervous Phil is, and wants to assure Phil that he has absolutely nothing to be worried of. He already knows no matter what, that Phil is going to make a great future king, and he’s going to have a great queen.

“Philip?”

Phil looks over at the sound of his father’s voice, and smiles. “Oh, hey Dad…”

“You’ve been in your room all day. Your mother is worried about you…”

Phil chuckles. “She doesn’t need to be worried,” he says, sighing as he looks out the window. “I’m just… hiding. I guess. Every time I go out, people ask about my soulmate. I never know what to say to them.”

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” The King asks as he walks over to Phil. “You shouldn’t be.”

Phil blinks a few times as he looks up at his dad curiously. “Why not?” He asks. “This is my soulmate we’re talking about here, someone that I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with.”

“Exactly. Your _soulmate_. You wouldn’t be paired with someone you don’t get along with,” he says.

Phil sighs. “I don’t know. I’m just feeling really stressed right now,” he mumbles. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

“Well, I’m sure sitting in your room all day isn’t helping. Why don’t you come out for a bit?”

“Fine, but I’m not going out to the kingdom. I don’t want to answer the same questions,” Phil says before standing up. “I mean no offense. I love the people. Just… not right now.”

The King chuckles. “As long as you’re out of your room so your mother will stop bothering me,”

Phil nods. “I’m gonna see what Louise is up to,” he says before walking out of his room. He walks around the castle for a little bit before finally finding Louise in the library, where she’s cleaning around. “Hey Lou!”

Louise looks over and smiles when she sees Phil. “If it isn’t the talk of the town,” she says, grinning.

“Ugh. Don’t even get me started,” Phil groans. “I can’t leave without anyone walking up to me!”

“Well, it is a big deal, considering you’re going to be the future king and this soulmate of yours will be the future queen. People are curious. You can’t blame them really,” Louise says, placing a book on the shelf. She turns and looks over at Phil. “How are you feeling? This must be nerve wracking for you.”

“You have no idea. I can’t stop staring at this freaking clock on my arm. I only have to wait two days before I finally find out who my soulmate is. I just wish there wasn’t so much pressure on me,” Phil sighs.

“I know, and I’m sure things are really stressful for you right now, but everything will work out,” Louise says before flashing a grin to Phil. “And, I know you’re going to make a great king.”

“Thanks,” Phil smiles. “You always know what to say when I’m stressed.”

“It’s a gift,” Louise replies with a shrug, before laughing. “I’m just kidding. You’re my best friend! So then, how much longer until you find out who your soulmate is? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Phil looks down at his wrist and sighs as the numbers counting down. “Sixteen hours. I’ll know tomorrow,”

“That’s exciting,” Louise smiles. “I mean, I’m sure you’re stressed. But, it’s still very exciting.”

Phil rolls his eyes playfully. “Are you busy right now?” He asks, looking over at Louise.

“I’m just cleaning. Better to clean than do nothing,” Louise tells him. “Why? Are you?”

“No. I’m just bored and Dad wanted me to do something other than being locked in my room, but I don’t want to go to the kingdom because people will just ask about my soulmate,” Phil says.

“You could always help me clean,” Louise offers, gently waving the book in her hands.

Phil chuckles. “I’m a prince, princes don’t clean,” he says, before he and Louise burst into laughter. “Yeah, okay. I’ll help you clean. It’s better than doing nothing I suppose.”

“Wow. That makes me feel great,” Louise says jokingly.

“Come on, shut up. You know I love spending time with you even if it does include cleaning,” Phil says, walking over to her and gently nudging her. “Now, tell me what to do.”

After spending a few hours with Louise, the two decide to head up to the kitchen for something to eat.

It’s nice for Phil to have something to distract him from finding out who his soulmate is for a little while. Although, it’s constantly in the back of his mind and he’s trying his best not to glance down at his wrist, still, it’s just nice to keep himself distracted by hanging out with Louise.

“Let me know if you need a cleaning buddy again,” Phil jokes before he and Louise part ways. He sighs, before turning and heading up to his bedroom. He gets himself ready for bed, before climbing into bed.

Tomorrow is finally the day he will find out who his soulmate is. He’ll wake up with a name on his wrist, and the wait will be over. Even though he is nervous, he can’t help but feel the excitement too.

When Phil wakes up the next morning, he instantly sits up in bed, and his heart starts pounding against his chest the second he realizes that the name of his soulmate is on his wrist.

Phil takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes, and glances down at his wrist, before slowly turning his wrist over. He curses out loud when he sees that there’s still two hours left on his wrist.

“God, dammit!” Phil shouts angrily, hitting his bed. He could just fall back asleep if he wants to, but now he’s too awake to do that. He’s going to have to wait two more agonizing hours to find out his soulmate.

“Philip?”

Phil’s not surprised when he hears his mother’s voice. “I’m awake,” he says.

The door slowly opens, and in walks his mom. “Is there any news regarding your soulmate?”

Phil sighs and shakes his head. “Still two more hours left,” he replies as he turns his wrist around to show that there’s no name on his wrist yet. “Sorry for shouting. I know you don’t like that type of language.”

“Oh, sweetheart. That’s okay. I understand this must be hard for you,” she assures him. “While you’re up, why don’t we get some breakfast? I’m sure there’s something you can do to pass the time, yeah?”

“Alright,” Phil nods. “Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you in the kitchen, okay?”

Kathryn smiles before turning and shutting the door behind her, leaving Phil to himself again.

Phil takes a quick shower and dresses himself in a casual yet nice outfit. Today, he will be possibly meeting his soulmate, and he wants to look nice for her when he does finally meet her.

Having breakfast did not help. All Phil can think about is his soulmate, and it’s driving him crazy.

So, Phil decides to go sit in the garden once breakfast is finished. It’s peaceful, and no one but his family is allowed out in the garden so nobody will bother him out here.

Before Phil knows it, the two hours pass by quickly while he sits on the swing on his garden. He happens to look down at his wrist and his eyes widen when he sees that the clock has finally reached zero.

“Holy shit!” Phil squeaks as he stares at his wrist. He closes his eyes, taking deep breaths. It’s finally time.

Phil turns his wrist and sees the letters D A N I E L and he assumes that it’s going to say ‘Daniella’, but when he finishes reading the name, he’s shocked to find out that it just says _Daniel Howell_.

“Daniel?” Phil asks, frowning. That can’t be right. Daniel is a boy’s name. Phil’s not gay, so why would his soulmate’s name be a boy’s name? There can’t be a princess if his soulmate is a boy.

His father is not going to be happy when he finds out about this. Being gay isn’t totally accepted by most people in the kingdom. He’s afraid what will happen to him and his soulmate when the kingdom finds out.

How will they react to not having a future queen? It’s always been king and queen, not king and king.

Phil bites his lip nervously before standing up and making his way into the castle. It doesn’t take very long for Phil to find his father in his study. He hesitates as he walks into the study. “Dad?” He asks.

“Philip! I’ve been waiting to hear from you all morning. Surely you must have good news,” The King says as he looks up at Phil with a smile on his face, and Phil hates that he’s about to disappoint him.

“Dad, there’s something you should know…” Phil begins.

“What is it?” The King asks, raising his eyebrows at Phil. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure,” Phil sighs. “I think there might be a mistake with my soulmate. It just doesn’t seem right.”

“There wouldn’t be a mistake. Your soulmate is your soulmate for a reason, Philip. Let me see,”

Phil frowns, before walking over to his dad and showing him the name. “Explain that then?” He asks.

The King looks at his son’s arm, and he also frowns. “Daniel Howell?” He asks, before looking up at Phil. “Is there something you’ve been meaning to tell me, son?”

“No, dad. I told you it was a mistake. That is a boy’s name on my wrist,” Phil tells him. “I’m not gay, nor have I ever been gay. I don’t why it says that name. Who even is Daniel Howell?”

“The Howell’s own a bakery in the village. They have two sons. Daniel and Alexander,” The King explains, shaking his head. “It wouldn’t be a mistake. I’m just not sure how this will change the future.”

“Wait, so… you’re _not_ upset that my soulmate is a boy?” Phil asks, rather surprised to see his father’s calm reaction to the fact that his soulmate is a boy, and not a girl. He expected a lot more than this.

“No, it’s not your fault, Philip. It’s just something that we’re going to have to deal with,” The King says. “Will you be okay with your soulmate being a boy?”

“I… I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to meet him first, and then decide. How bad can he be?”

“We should go to the village and meet your soulmate then. I’m sure it will be a big shock to him. He’ll have to leave his family and come live in the castle,” The King explains. “I never thought that there would ever be two future kings. But, there’s no possible way for there to be a future queen, now.”

“I mean, I don’t have to marry this kid, do I? Can’t we break the rules?” Phil asks hopefully.

“No, Philip. That’s not how it works. This is your soulmate,” The King warns.

Phil groans and runs his hands over his face, already having a feeling that his life is about to be turned upside down, and he’s not exactly prepared for this change either.

An hour later, Phil is heading down to the village to meet his soulmate for the first time.

“Phil, I know this is a lot for you to take in. But I’m sure your soulmate is going through the same, so… please try your best to behave. We will discuss this more once we have your soulmate at the castle.”

“Dad, this isn’t fair. I’m supposed to be marrying a princess. Not some _village boy_ ,” Phil snaps.

“Philip Michael Lester, just because he’s from the village doesn’t mean that he’s any less than you are, that is not how your mother and I raised you to treat those villagers.” The King sighs. “Besides, one day, you’ll be the king and you’ll have to look over them..”

Phil huffs and sinks down in the seat, crossing his arms against his chest. He looks out the window, and sighs. He knows that his father is right overall, but marrying a boy just seems so… _wrong_ , to him. At least, from his point of view. Everybody’s expecting him to marry a princess. So many people will be upset, and letting down the people in the kingdom is something he’s not looking forward to doing.

Finally, the carriage stops after what feels like hours of sitting in the carriage.

Phil slowly pushes himself up and looks out the window. Visiting the village isn’t something he does often, that’s more something the king does. Phil knows he’ll have to visit the village more once his dad passes, because his dad always makes it a point to make sure the village people are being taken care of.

“Come along, Philip. Your soulmate is waiting for you,” the King says as he steps out of the carriage.

Phil groans and slides out of the carriage as well. He looks around and sees that some of the villagers are already gathering around, as nobody from the village had been expecting a visit from the king today.

“Philip,” the King says before leading the way into the bakery, the bodyguards following behind.

Phil looks around once they’re inside the bakery. It’s quite a small bakery, but it’s nice and feels warm, very welcoming. This is definitely not what Phil had expected, but he’s not complaining either.

“Your majesty!”

Phil looks over when he hears a voice speak up suddenly.

“Your majesty, what an honor it is to have you visit our bakery,” the woman speaks kindly.

“Mrs. Howell, it’s lovely to see you again. Although, I’m sure you were expecting a visit from us?”

“Oh, you must be hear to see Daniel. Yes, my husband and I suspected we would be seeing you soon. We were all quite shocked when we saw the name on his wrist,” she chuckles nervously.

“Yes, it was quite a shock to us to. We were expecting Phil to be marrying a princess, but it looks like some things will be changing soon,” the King says. “We would like to meet Daniel, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, your majesty. Daniel is just in the back. Daniel! Please come out here!”

They wait a moment before a teenage boy with chestnut brown hair comes out from the back, and Phil’s a little taken back with how attractive the boy is. This is definitely not what he was expecting at all.

The boy, _Daniel_ , looks up and instantly takes a step back once he realizes who’s in the shop. His eyes instantly flicker over to Phil. He’s too stunned to even say anything.

“Daniel, there you are,” his mom reaches over and then she gently pulls him closer. “Look who’s here. The King and Prince Philip are here to meet you!”

Dan’s heart instantly starts pounding against his chest. His soulmate is standing right there in front of him. _The Prince_ is standing in front of him. This is all happening way too fast for Dan’s liking.

“Hello, Daniel. It’s nice to meet you. Mrs. Howell, would you mind if we borrowed your son for a moment?” The King asks. “There’s quite a few things that we need to talk about.”

“Yes, of course. I would like to join you for the conversation, if that’s alright?”

“Of course,” the King nods, and then he followed Mrs. Howell towards the sitting area, where they all sit.

Dan and Phil sit next to each other, suggested by Dan’s mom. Phil feels incredibly awkward.

Dan looks over at Phil, though he’s too shy and scared to say anything. He’s heard so many stories about Prince Philip. He’s never actually seen him in person due to having to work constantly at the bakery, but he’s always been curious about what he’s like in person. And now, he’s his _soulmate_.

“Okay,” the King begins. “Obviously, Phil is the prince. He’s going to be the future king. He was meant to marry a princess. Dan isn’t a girl. But, we think we can make it work with two future kings.”

“Wait, what?” Dan asks, looking over at the king with wide eyes.

“Daniel,” Mrs. Howell warns, giving her son a stern look. “Do not speak like that in front of the king.”

“No, it’s fine, Mrs. Howell. I understand that this must be shocking for Daniel. Dan and Phil are soulmates, so we need to make this work. It will be the first time in history where there won’t be a king and a queen,”

Dan blinks a few times and quickly shakes his head. “I-I’m only sixteen,” he says. “I can’t be a king!”

Phil rolls his eyes. “We don’t become kings until my father passes,” he says.

Dan frowns as he looks at Phil, not liking the way Phil talks towards him. “I’m no fit to be a king,”

“We have some people at the castle who will help you understand everything you need to know about becoming a king, do not worry Daniel,” the king assures him. He looks over at Mrs. Howell and sighs. “Now, I know this is personal to ask. But, is Daniel able to get pregnant?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Howell replies. “He’s one of the few rare males that are able to give birth.’

“Hm…” The King looks over at Phil. “Your soulmate is a Carrier. How lucky you must be.”

“So lucky,” Phil mumbles, looking down at his hands.

Dan is not happy about having to leave his home, to say the least. Most villagers would probably be thrilled about leaving the village to go live in the castle and marry a prince. But, not Dan. He is very close with his family and loves working at the bakery. Having that taken away from him, is not happy for him.

“We’ll make arrangements for you to come visit Daniel. He’ll be taken care of, I promise,” the king assures Dan’s mom as they leave the bakery. “There’s security surrounding the castle.”

“I’m just worried for him. I know people won’t be happy about a gay marriage,” Mrs. Howell says.

“Yes, it will be quite shocking. I don’t think anything too terrible will happen though,”

Mrs. Howell turns and looks at Daniel. “You be good, Daniel. You’re still sixteen, so don’t be reckless. We’ll try to write you a letter whenever we can, okay?”

Dan takes a deep breath and slowly nods. “O-Okay,” he mumbles. “Take care of Allie.”

Mrs. Howell chuckles. “Of course we will, sweetie. That is my son,” she says softly before gently kissing Dan’s forehead. “Now, go off and make me proud. I know you’ll make a great future king.”

“I’d hate to ruin this moment, but we must get going now,” the King says, motioning Dan to come forward.

“Goodbye,” Dan says before grabbing his luggage and walking over to the king, and then following him and Phil to the carriage. Dan looks up and blinks a few times. This is much more fancier than what Dan’s used to. His whole life is about to change right before his eyes. If only he could be excited about it.

The ride to the castle isn’t as exciting as Dan hoped it would be. They sit in silence, and no one speaks. Phil doesn’t even look him in the eye once either, and Dan doesn’t have to question if Phil hates him, even though Dan’s done absolutely nothing to deserve this.

Once in the castle, the king suggests Phil takes Dan up to his new bedroom, which is beside Phil’s.

“We’re not sharing a room?” Dan asks once he and Phil get to Dan’s bedroom.

“No,” Phil replies, surprising Dan by his coldness. “We’re not sharing a room, Daniel. Don’t even think about entering my room unless I say you can. We may be soulmates, but I’m not happy about it.

Dan looks up at Phil with hurt in his eyes. “D-Did I do something wrong?” He asks quietly.

“You ruined my whole entire future, that’s what you did!” Phil snaps before storming away.

Dan gasps with shock. He watches as Phil walks away from him, before he finally bursts into tears, unable to keep the emotions bottled up inside him any longer.

Dan knew things would be tough, but having your soulmate reject you… it hurts, and he can only hope that things get better, otherwise he’s not going to be able to survive this kind of treatment.

A few days pass since Dan’s arrival at the castle. Phil hasn’t really spoken to him, pretty much avoiding him at all costs. Everybody else seems to love Dan, unfortunately for him. He sees Dan already becoming friends with people like Louise, and Phil’s not sure he likes that.

“Philip?”

Phil looks up as soon as he hears his mother’s voice, and sighs before replying with, “Come in!”

The door opens, and Phil’s mom walks into the room. “Phil, my boy! There you are.” Kathryn smiles.

“Here I am.” Phil replies with a sigh as he leans back in his desk chair. “Is everything okay?”

“Well…” Kathryn walks over to the bed and sits down. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

Phil blinks a few times as he looks over at his mom. “What do you mean by that?” He asks curiously. “Why wouldn’t everything be okay?”

“Your soulmate has been here for three days and you’ve not come out of your room since he arrived. Before, I thought you were pretty excited about meeting your soulmate. What’s changed?”

“What’s changed is that he’s a boy,” Phil says. “He wasn’t supposed to be a boy.”

Kathryn frowns slightly. “What matters if he’s a boy?”

“Mum, I’m going to be the future king soon, I mean… hopefully not too soon because I really don’t want Dad to die. It’s just going to happen. A king isn’t a king without a queen, you know that. There can’t possibly be two kings. Dad keeps telling me everything’s going to be fine, but I can’t see it.” Phil sighs.

“I understand your worries,” Kathryn says softly. “But, I don’t think it’s fair how you’re treating that boy. Daniel is a kind boy, and I think you would get along with him if you gave him a chance.”

“If I did that, then it would mean that I’m okay with this, and I’m not okay with this,” Phil says.

“Phil,” Kathryn warns. “You listen to me, alright? This is your soulmate we’re talking about. This is the boy you’re going to be spending the rest of your life with. There’s no way you’re going to get around this mess that you’ve created for yourself. Your father and I both agreed that we’re not allowing you to not marry Daniel. I can’t even begin to imagine how it must feel for him, He knows that you don’t want him as a soulmate and that hurts. You need to go find that boy, and talk to him. First, _apologize_ to him for the way you’ve acted. Get to know him before you judge him. I understand you’re upset about him not being a girl. We were all expecting you to marry a princess. Unfortunately, things are going to have to change now. But, they don’t all have to be bad changes.” She lets out a sigh. “Do you understand me?”

Phil blinks a few times as he stares at his mom, shocked at her rant. “Y-Yes, ma’am,” he mumbles.

Kathryn chuckles, before standing up from the bed. “Glad we had this talk, Philip,” she says softly. “Oh, and lunch will be ready soon. Get yourself ready. I expect you’ll make an effort to talk to Daniel. I can’t understand why you don’t like him. He’s such a sweetheart.”

Phil looks up and frowns as he watches his mom walk out of the bedroom, before sighing.

Phil sits in his chair for a couple of minutes before finally getting up and leaving his room. He looks around before heading towards Daniel’s- or Dan, as he apparently likes to be called, room.

Phil stands in front of the door for a moment. Just as he’s about to knock on the door, the door opens, revealing a very surprised Dan. Dan looks up and blinks a few times when he sees Prince Philip.

“Prince Philip,” Dan mumbles, looking down at his hands. “Surprised to see you here.”

“Just call me Phil, please,” Phil says, letting out a sigh. “I came to… talk to you. If that’s okay.”

“Your mother talked to you, didn’t she?” Dan asks, surprising Phil. “She talked to me too, said she was going to try to knock some sense into you. I told her it was fine but, she didn’t want to listen to me.”

“But, it’s not fine. Is it?” Phil asks. “Can I come in?”

Dan steps aside and then allows Phil into his bedroom. He shuts the door and then walks over to his bed and sits down, watching as Phil sits down on the bed as well. “I’ve been hiding in my room all day today. It’s a bit overwhelming having people walk up to you constantly. They’re nice, but it’s still overwhelming. I’ve seen how people in the village are around you and The King.”

“You’ll get used to it. Just wait until you go down to the kingdom,” Phil says.

Dan looks up at Phil. “Will I get to go down to the kingdom? I’ve always wanted to know what it was like. I’ve been living in the village my whole life, never allowed to leave,” he frowns.

Phil stares at him for a second. “I’ll take you,”

“Really?” Dan’s eyes light up with excitement, earning a chuckle from Phil. “Oh, thank you so much, Phil! Wow. I promise I won’t be any trouble!”

Phil raises his eyebrows. “Daniel, you’re going to be the future king. You and I will be visiting the kingdom many times in the future so you’ll have plenty of time to explore everything,” he says. “Although, I’d ask that you not go to the kingdom by yourself, especially after we announce you’re my soulmate.”

Dan shrinks down, looking up at Phil nervously. “Are people going to be angry?”

“People in the kingdom don’t exactly gay people. But, we’ll have no choice but to change the rules now,”

“No choice?” Dan asks, sitting up again. “You realize I’m not the only gay person in the village. I had plenty of gay friends. We should have been given rights a long time ago. We’re just normal people!”

“Daniel,” Phil warns, surprised at Dan’s outburst.

“Don’t ‘Daniel’ me!” Dan yells before standing up from the bed. “The way we get treated is unfair!”

“Daniel,” Phil stands up again. “I understand what you mean, and I’m sorry that the gay community have been treated wrongfully for so many years. But, that is going to change after I’m the King. I promise that. While I may not be gay myself, I don’t support the way you’ve been treated.”

Dan looks over at him, frowning. “You’re not gay?” He asks.

Phil shakes his head, feeling sorry for Dan that his soulmate is straight. “Straight. I was expecting to marry a princess. You can understand now why I’ve been upset lately? It’s not you. I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted towards you since we met,” he mumbles. “But, I want to try and make this… relationship, work. We should get to know each other before we move forward with anything. We’re going to have to anyways at least. I mean, my parents are expecting a child out of us for when I become the king.”

Dan blinks a few times. “I have a few years to prepare for that, don’t I?”

“I don’t know. The King is getting older, and when he dies… I take his place, and we’ll need a child, but I’d like to have a child before my dad dies. I want him to see his grandchild,” Phil says.

Dan groans, and walks over to sit down in the chair. “I’m only sixteen! Not only am I going to have to become the future king, but now you’re expecting me to get pregnant and raise a child?”

“I’m sorry,” Phil apologizes. “I know this is not what you expected. But, it’s how things have to be.”

“Well, looks like we’re just as equally ruining each other’s lives,” Dan mumbles, crossing his arms against his chest, feeling defeated after learning all of this new information. “I was so excited about finally knowing who my soulmate is. Then, your name appears on my wrist. I knew things were going to change, but I had no idea it was going to be like this. Now, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Look, I don’t want either of us to be miserable, we both deserve to be happy,” Phil says, sighing softly. “You seem like a nice guy. I’m sure once we get to know each other, things will get better.”

Dan looks over at Phil, biting his lip slightly. “I’m willing to give it a try,” he says.

“Great.” Phil smiles. “My mother will be pleased to hear this.”

“When are you going to announce to the people that we’re soulmates?” Dan asks curiously.

“I’m not sure. If not today, then sometime in the next coming days,” Phil says. “My dad is dealing with it.”

“Shouldn’t you deal with it though?” Dan asks, raising his eyebrows. “You’re going to become king anyways, so wouldn’t it be a good practice? I’m not sure how well you are with crowds…”

“If I go up there and make the speech, you have to do it with me,” Phil tells him.

“What? Why do I have do the speech with you?” Dan asks, frowning.

“You’re going to be future king as well. For good practice,” Phil mocks Dan, smirking.

“No way in hell am I going up there in front of people who are against gays. That’s out of the question. Until I know that I’m going to be safe, I’m not going anywhere near the kingdom,” Dan huffs.

“Fine with me. My dad will do the speech then,” Phil says. “Lunch will be ready soon. We should go down and at least be seen together so people don’t think we hate each other, which we don’t. Not anymore.”

“Well for one, I never hated you until I learned you hated me so…” Dan shrugs, and then he leads the way out of the bedroom. The two make their way downstairs, where they run into Louise.

“Dan! Phil! What a lovely surprise,” Louise smiles.

“Lou, I see you’ve met my soulmate,” Phil says as he looks over at Dan.

“Yes. I adore Dan,” Louise says. “I’m so happy that you guys finally found each other. It’s amazing!”

“Louise is a romantic sap.” Phil chuckles, earning a playful hit from Louise on the shoulder. He pouts and rubs the spot where she hit him. “She’s also a lot stronger than she looks.”

Dan chuckles. “Yeah, we met each other. I learned you had a library and had to see it for myself,”

“The library is wonderful. I enjoy spending time in there. It’s quite peaceful and quiet,” Louise says, nodding. “And, not to mention, the library is filled with thousands of books so you’d be in there forever before you finished reading them all. Books are such wonderful things.”

“Well.” Phil chuckles. “We should head to lunch. You coming Louise?”

“Can’t. I’m on duty. No worries, I’ll make sure I’ll have something to eat later,” Louise tells him.

“Okay. See you later then,” Phil says, smiling at her, before leading the way towards the kitchen.

“Bye, Louise!” Dan calls before following Phil. “She’s really nice.”

“She is,” Phil agrees. “She’s my best friend, so don’t even think about stealing her.”

Dan chuckles at Phil’s protectiveness over Louise. “Don’t worry, wasn’t planning on it,” he says.

The two finally make it to the kitchen, where they’re met with the workers of the castle as well as Kathryn, though Phil isn’t surprised to see his mother already there.

“Dan! Phil! What a lovely surprise to see you two together!” Kathryn smiles as soon as she sees them.

“Are you really that surprised, mum?” Phil asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Well, I hoped our little chats would actually go somewhere,” Kathryn says. “So?”

Phil sighs. “We’re working on it, okay? That’s all I can tell you right now,” he says. “When is dad making the speech about Dan and I?” He asks, walking over to the table.

“Sometime later today. He wants to get it out of the way,” she tells him.

Phil nods. “Fair enough,” he says, glancing over at Dan. He can’t help but worry about Dan, and how the kingdom will react to there being two future kings with one of them actually being gay. He doesn’t want Dan to get hurt. He knows how brutal the kingdom can be sometimes when things don’t go as planned.

Phil eats lunch with his mother and Dan, relaxing for a bit before the chaos ensues. He and Dan actually talked with each other which was quite nice after the way their first initial meeting went, Phil has to admit. He likes talking with Dan a lot. Dan’s soft spoken, and listens well when others are talking. It’s nice.

Ultimately, Phil decides to go with The King to the speech. His dad suggested that Dan stay at the castle, just in case things got out of hand or went wrong in some way, which Phil hoped they didn’t.

Phil takes a deep breath as he stares at the crowd of people in front of them, knowing this is live on TV. Everybody is watching them, waiting for them to announce who the ‘future queen’ is going to be.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” The King begins as he looks around at all the people. “Well… as you all know by now, Philip as been waiting to find out who his soulmate is the past week. His soulmate is who he will be marrying and ruling beside him. The good news is, we finally know who Phil’s soulmate is. However, there’s been a change in tradition. Phil’s soulmate is Daniel Howell-”

As soon as The King speaks a boy’s name, there were gasps and people start whispering to each other, and Phil instantly gets nervous about how the rest of the speech is going to go.

The King sighs. “Yes, you heard me correctly. After I pass, there will no longer be a king and a queen, but a future king and king. If I had my way, it wouldn’t be like this. There would be a king and a queen. Unfortunately, this is Phil’s soulmate and who he’s destined to be with,”

Dan frowns as he sits in the lounge with Phil’s mother and a few other workers. “I knew he didn’t like me.”

“Dear, it’s not you he doesn’t like. The King isn’t too keen on changing the rules unless he has to,” Kathryn tells him. “This will be a big change for everybody.”

Dan looks over at her. “And what about all the other gay people?”

“Daniel-”

Dan stands up angrily. “No! We’ve been abused for years, treated poorly just because of who we love! It’s not fair that we have to hide who we are, and sit in silence, while everybody goes on living happily. Well, quite frankly, I’ve had enough of this treatment!” He storms out of the room.

Kathryn sighs and looks over at the TV as The King continues his speech.

“I know this may not please some of you-”

“There will be two kings!” Someone in the crowd shouts angrily. “It’s disgusting!”

“It’s a disgrace! Those fags need to burn in hell!” Another shouts.

Phil’s eyes widen as he looks over at his dad. “Dad,” he whispers. “Control them.”

The King sighs. “Enough!” He shouts, instantly silencing the crowd. “That’s my son, your future king, that you’re talking about. Phil will be marrying Daniel in just a few weeks, and he will take my place as king when I pass. The decision is final, and it’s something that we’ll all have to get used to. Goodnight.”

Phil frowns as he watches his dad walk away, heading towards the carriage. He starts following him, but he stops when someone walks up to him before he can.

“You’re one of them?”

“Excuse me?” Phil asks, blinking a few times. “That’s not how-”

“You’re a fag, aren’t you? This whole time, you’ve been lying to us all?” The man asks angrily.

“What? No!” Phil shakes his head. “I was expecting my soulmate to be a girl. I’ve always been straight, and it wasn’t easy for me either when I learned who my soulmate actually was. But, you know what? He’s still my soulmate. I will love him and treat him as if I would a girl, because that’s what he deserves.” He pushes the man aside and rushes over to the carriage, looking back nervously as the crowd gets angrier.

“That went well,” The King says once Phil is in the carriage.

“Dad, what’s gonna happen? What if they try to hurt Dan?” Phil asks, looking over at his dad worriedly.

“Do not worry, Philip. Dan will not be harmed,” The King assures him. “We will make sure he is protected, until this whole situation calms down. It’s a lot for the kingdom to take in. There will be a lot of changes.”

Phil waits a few days before approaching Dan again, after learning that Dan got upset during the speech. But, he still wants to try and make things work between them. This relationship is never going to work if they don’t even try. He doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life being miserable with his soulmate.

“Where are you taking me?” Dan asks as they step into the carriage.

“Have you ever been to the kingdom before?” Phil asks, looking over at Dan.

Dan shakes his head. “No, and… do you really think that’s a good idea? I mean, the people…”

“You’re apart of this family now. I know people are still upset but, they’re going to have to get over it, because you’re not going anywhere,” Phil assures him. “We have to make this work between us.”

“We have to?” Dan asks, raising his eyebrows.

“I mean-” Phil chuckles and shakes his head. “I want to make this work. I really do like you, Dan. I know that it doesn’t seem that way because of how I treated you before. But, I’m working on getting better.”

“Okay, if you’ll put effort into this relationship, then so will I, and we will make it work.” Dan smiles, and then gasps when the carriage starts moving. “I’ll never get used to these.” He holds onto the seat tightly.

Phil grins at him. “You will, trust me. We’ll be using them a lot in the future,” he assures Dan.

The two boys finally make it to the kingdom. Phil has a couple of security guards behind them, just in case something were to happen. Most people usually leave him be whenever he visits the kingdom, but because he has Dan with him, he wants to make sure they’re both protected at all times.

“Welcome… to the kingdom.” Phil smiles as he looks over at Dan. “Is it everything you imagined?”

“It’s what I thought it would be.” Dan looks over at Phil. “Way fancier, and a lot cleaner… than the village. It seems a little unfair that people in the village don’t get the same treatment. You know?” He shrugs.

“That’s not my doing, and you know that. I promise Dan, it’s definitely going to be one of my top priorities to take care of the village people once I become king. I never liked how poorly the villagers were treated.”

“At least someone cares,” Dan mumbles to himself, before looking around again.

“So, I was thinking we could go eat lunch at this really cute cafe that I know of,” Phil says. “My friend, Carrie, she owns it. She’s really nice. If you like Louise, you’ll love her.”

“Okay,” Dan replies with a shrug of his shoulders, before starting to follow Phil. He glances around as he and Phil walk together. He can’t help but notice all the people staring at him and whispering things. He feels weird and uncomfortable, which causes him to step closer to Phil.

“You okay?” Phil asks, instantly noticing Dan’s action.

“Um, y-yeah. I’m fine…” Dan tells him, not wanting Phil to worry. He just needs to be brave, and not worry about everyone around him. Phil’s here, and they have security. What could possibly happen to him?

Dan and Phil finally make it to the small cafe that Phil tells Dan about. They’re instantly greeted by Carrie.

“Relax, guys. It’s Carrie. You know she means no harm,” Phil tells the security, before turning to Carrie with a smile on his face. “Carrie! It’s so good to see you again!”

“Phil! I’ve missed seeing you at the shop.” Carrie smiles as she hugs Phil tightly. “You’ve been the talk of the town. Can’t go anywhere without hearing someone mention your name.”

“Which is exactly why I haven’t come in a few weeks. Sorry.” Phil chuckles.

“Oh, and you must be Prince Daniel?” Carrie smiles when she sees Dan standing beside Phil.

“Well, not yet. We haven’t gotten married. But, he will be soon enough. And, he likes to be called Dan,” Phil tells her. “Dan, this is Carrie. Aside from Louise, she’s one of my best friends. She’s the only one in the kingdom who doesn’t treat me like royalty. It’s refreshing.”

“Hi, Dan. It’s so lovely to meet you!” Carrie pulls Dan into a hug. “How are you liking the kingdom?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s great. I think it’s beautiful. It’s definitely not what I’m used to…” Dan chuckles nervously.

“Well, I’ve been to the village quite a few times myself. Your bakery is one of the best I’ve ever been to. The cheesecake is to die for,” Carrie says, smiling.

“Oh, thank you. My mum will be pleased to hear that.” Dan smiles.

“How about we get some coffee?” Phil suggests. “You know my usual.”

“Of course, and Dan? What will you be getting?” Carrie asks, pulling out a little notepad.

“Oh, uh… I’ll just get whatever he’s getting,” Dan tells her.

Carrie smiles and nods before walking away, leaving Dan and Phil alone.

“Come on.” Phil leads Dan over to one of the empty tables, where they both sit down. “Isn’t this great?”

“Yeah. Carrie seems really nice to. She reminds me a lot of Louise,” Dan says, looking at Phil.

“Yeah, she does. Lou and Carrie get along well with each other. Louise works at the castle so they don’t get to see each other. I hope to change that once I become king. My dad is quite strict with workers.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. He yelled at a poor maid yesterday when she dropped some plates!”

Phil shakes his head. “He’s just a perfectionist. Everything has to be perfect.” he sighs.

“Are you nervous about becoming the king?” Dan asks. “I can only imagine how difficult of a job that is.”

“Hey, you’re going to have to become king too.” Phil chuckles. “And yeah. There’s a lot of pressure, but… my mother has been telling my everything I need to know, and so has my dad. They want to make sure everything is ready for me when the time comes. We’ll need to get you trained as well.”

“I think I’d rather focus on learning about babies, since apparently I’ll be carrying one,” Dan says.

“Sooner rather than later,” Phil adds. “But yes, my mother can help you with that. It’ll be a few months until at least but it will happen. We need at least one child before my dad passes.”

“I understand it. I just wish that I had a little more time to prepare for this. I had no idea my soulmate would be the future king,” Dan mumbles. “It seems like everything is happening all too fast.”

Phil nods, and then he smiles when Carrie comes back with two coffees.

“For you-” She says as she hands a coffee to Phil. “And for you.” She hands the other to Dan.

“Thank you, Carrie. God, I’ve missed the smell of your coffee,” Phil says before taking a drink.

**

Dan and Phil stay at the cafe for about an hour, before getting up to leave. Phil tells Dan to wait outside while he says goodbye to Carrie, but he sends the security guards out with him.

“Hey! You’re the guy Prince Philip is due to marry!”

Dan looks over and blinks a few times when he sees an older man walking up to him. “Yes…?”

“People like you shouldn’t even exist,” The man snaps. “You should be hanged!”

“Hanged?” Dan asks, raising his eyebrows. “What century are you living in?” He laughs, and then gasps when the man shoves him harshly, causing him to stumble backwards.

“Hey, back up!” One of the security guards grabs the man, pulling him away from Dan.

“What’s going on?” Phil asks worriedly as he rushes outside after noticing the commotion from inside, seeing Dan being helped up by another security guard. “Dan, are you alright?”

“I’m-I’m fine.” Dan takes a deep breath as he looks up at Phil.

“What the hell happened?” Phil looks over at the man who shoved Dan. “Wait… I know who you are, and I will also be letting my father know about this incident. You don’t ever put your hands on Dan again.”

“Phil.” Dan places his hands on Phil’s shoulder. “Phil, I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”

The man smirks. “You got lucky this time.” he laughs, and Phil looks up at the security guard and nods. “Take him in. We’ll be heading back to the castle now.” He grabs Dan and leads the way back to the carriage. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Dan. I had no idea something like that would happen.”

“All he did was shove me. Nothing happened. I was just… a little shocked,” Dan tells Phil.

“Well, it still wasn’t okay what he did to you. He basically told us that he would have done much more had the security guards not been there.” Phil rolls his eyes and then opens the carriage and allows Dan to get inside first before following him in. He reaches over and shuts the door. “I hope you still had fun.”

“No, I really did. It was nice being able to talk to you alone, and… Carrie was really nice too.” Dan smiles.

Phil smiles. “That makes me happy to hear. I’m sorry that it ended on such a sour note,” he says.

“The day is still young. We can make it better.” Dan smiles.

“Yeah, we can-” Phil leans over and then he kisses Dan passionately yet sweetly, surprising Dan. It takes Dan a moment before he finally kisses Phil back. Phil pulls away after a moment and smiles.

Dan looks up at Phil, his eyes full of excitement. He never thought Phil would kiss him.

Phil chuckles and wraps an arm around Dan, pulling him closer. “Things are looking up, Dan,” he says.

The next few days, Dan spends most of his time at the castle, and mostly with Phil. There is still a lot of the castle he hasn’t seen so Phil’s been showing him around and telling him all these stories.

It isn’t until Dan is with Louise in one of the studies, helping her clean. “I wanna go back to the kingdom,”

“With Phil?” Louise asks, looking over at Dan with her eyebrows raised.

“No, by myself,” Dan tells her. “I know that’s a bad idea. But, I just… I don’t know.”

“I mean, I can understand why you do want to go back. A lot of stuff has happened since you were announced as Phil’s soulmate. People aren’t happy, and you have unanswered questions,” she says.

“Yes, that’s exactly it!” Dan nods. “But, how on Earth do I get out of the castle without Phil seeing me or without a guard watching me like a hawk? It’s like mission impossible!” He throws his arms up.

Louise chuckles. “It’s not that impossible. I can help you,” she offers.

“Really?” Dan asks, walking over to her. “But, how? I don’t want you to get in trouble…”

“Oh, please. It’ll be easy. I’ll make sure Phil is busy with something else and then all I have to do is distract the guards and you’ll escape. The guards outside are a little tricky though,” Louise tells him.

It’s still early in the day, so it’s easy to busy Phil with something that doesn’t involve Dan. And somehow, Dan and Louise manage to distract the guards by making a loud commotion outside the castle. Dan sneaks outside and runs towards the gate the moment the guards leave the gate, and he sneaks out.

Dan smiles, weirdly feeling proud that their plan actually worked.

It takes about twenty minutes for him to make it to the kingdom. He tries to act as calm as possible, though after his last visit to the kingdom, he can’t help but feel a little nervous about being alone.

Dan only walks around for a few minutes before he’s spotted.

“Hey! You’re Daniel Howell!” A man shouts as he points at Dan. He’s with other men as well.

Dan looks up and his eyes widen as the group of men start walking towards him. “I-I-”

One of the men grab him by the collar and pull him closer. “You’re the reason this kingdom is falling apart. Prince Philip should not be marrying a boy. He should be marrying a princess!”

“It’s not my fault!” Dan gasps and struggles to get out of the man’s grip, but he’s not strong enough.

“Who’s fault is it then? Huh? Nobody’s. It’s your fault, and you’ll pay for it!” The man shouts before throwing Dan onto the ground harshly, and then the group of men start kicking him.

****

It’s later that night when Phil is sitting at his desk in his bedroom, looking out the window thoughtfully, when the door opens. He looks over and is surprised when he sees Carrie standing in the doorway. It’s very rare when Carrie visits the castle. Usually she’s only around for special occasions like when Phil invites her over for big dinners. His parents allow him to invite friends which is usually Carrie and Louise.

“Carrie?” Phil asks as he stands up. He walks over and hugs her. “What are you doing here?”

“I wish I could say that I’m here for a nice visit, but… that’s not the case.” Carrie sighs sadly.

“What happened? Is everything okay?” Phil asks worriedly.

Carrie shakes her head. “It’s Daniel,” she says, looking up at Phil. “He got into some trouble.”

“Trouble?” Phil blinks a few times. “What kind of trouble are we talking about here?”

“Awhile ago, I was doing my usual evening walk around the kingdom, and… I found him. He was just… lying on the ground, beaten and bruised,” Carrie tells him. “It was a horrific sight.”

“Wait a minute, what was Dan doing in the kingdom?” Phil asks, confused.

“I’m not sure. But, you have to go see him. He’s in terrible shape!” Carrie grabs Phil’s hand, and then she drags him out of his bedroom and leads the way up to the hospital room. There are security guards surrounding the hospital room. Phil’s confused, and has so many questions swirling in his mind.

Carrie leads the way into the hospital room, where Phil sees his father and mother.

“Dad? What’s going on?” Phil asks, rushing over to Dan’s bed. His eyes widen when he instantly notices that Dan’s covered in bruises. He can only imagine how much pain Dan will be in when he wakes up.

“It appears that Daniel has sneaked out of the castle and ventured off to the kingdom by himself,” the King says as he watches Phil. “Carrie found him and informed us of his whereabouts.”

“That doesn’t make sense. How did he get out of the castle without the guards seeing him?” Phil asks.

“He had a little help from your friend Louise,” the King tells him. “She admitted that she helped him.”

“I just don’t understand why Dan wanted to go to the kingdom by himself, knowing how the kingdom feels about everything changing. It’s not safe for him to be out there alone. Clearly!” Phil points to Dan.

“Maybe he was just trying to get some answers.”

Phil blinks a few times as he looks over at Carrie. “What do you mean?”

“Like you said, Phil… people started hating the idea of you marrying a boy the second it was announced. They think it’s Dan’s fault, so of course they’re going to hate him even though he’s done nothing wrong. Believe me, I’ve heard what some of the people in the kingdom have been saying. It’s not nice.”

Phil looks over at Dan and frowns, hating that people are so upset by the idea of him marrying a boy that they would go as far as hurting Dan physically. He never wanted Dan to get hurt like that. It’s not right.

“Well, they’re going to have to deal with it,” the King speaks up. “I will not be having people in the kingdom hurting people close to me. Anyone who lays another hand on Daniel or Phil, will be punished.”

“Dad, do you really think punishments are going to fix anything?” Phil asks, looking up at him.

“Well, I’m not going to let anyone get away with this. They could have killed him, Phil.” the King sighs. “Stay here with him for now. The doctor said he’ll be fine, though it will take a few weeks of recovery before he’s back to his normal self. I’ve also contacted his family. They will be here tomorrow. Meanwhile, there are people I need to speak to. Carrie, you’re more than welcome to stay in one of our guest rooms for the night. It’s far too dangerous for you to go back to the kingdom this late.”

“Oh, thank you so much your majesty,” Carrie says with a smile.

“It’s the least we could do. You saved Dan’s life, after all,” he says before walking out of the room.

Phil looks back over at Dan and grabs his hand, sighing sadly.

Kathryn looks over at Phil and frowns, gently rubbing his back. “Dan will be fine,” she assures him.

Phil looks up at her. “Why did they do this to him?” He asks. “Is it my fault this happened?”

“Of course not, sweetheart. We could have never predicted this to happen,” she says softly. “Change is not easy. It will take a lot for everyone to get used to it, but… things will get better in the long run.”

Phil slowly nods, hoping that his mother is right.

Over the next few weeks, Dan slowly gets better. The King issued out a statement about the incident, warning the kingdom that punishments will be put out to anyone who hurts Dan again. They also decided that the wedding would be taken place sooner or later.

Unfortunately, while all this is happening, the king has fallen ill. Phil knew this was coming, but he expected it to happen a lot later. He’s terrified now, especially with everything that’s happening with Dan.

“Phil?”

Phil looks over and smiles when he sees Dan standing in his bedroom doorway. “Hey. You’re up,”

“Yeah, I can finally walk now,” Dan chuckles. “I still ache in some places, but it’s not as bad.”

Phil stands up and walks over to him, sighing. “I just hate that this happened to you,” he whispers.

“It’s my fault. I’m the idiot who thought it would be a good idea to go to the kingdom by myself,” Dan says. “I just didn’t think I’d end up in the hospital. I mean, I was only there for like five minutes.”

“Yeah, people can be pretty horrible-” Phil gently grabs Dan’s and leads him over to the bed.

“How’s your dad?” Dan asks as he sits beside Phil.

“Resting.” Phil sighs. “I know it’s killing him lying in bed all day. But, the doctor said that he needs to rest, otherwise there’s no chance he’ll get better. Added stress to the situation won’t help either.”

“Do you think he will get better?” Dan asks.

“I don’t know,” Phil mumbles. “We didn’t expect him to get ill so soon.”

Dan takes a deep breath. “Well, we should talk about… babies, I mean… you wanted to have kids before your dad passes, right? He’s fine now, but, we don’t know if he’ll make it for much longer,” he says.

Phil looks over at Dan. “Yeah, but… it shouldn’t all be about what I want. _You’re_ the one who’s going to be carrying the children after all,” he says. “We’ve only known each other for a few weeks,”

“I knew it was going to come. And, besides… it’s your dad’s dream to see you with kids, for him to know that the tradition will continue. He’s done so much for me, the least I can do is help make this dream come true. I wish I had more time to prepare, but, I’m not that upset about it.” Dan shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m sorry things are moving so fast.” Phil chuckles nervously.

Dan shrugs his shoulders. “That’s okay. We’re still young, after all. Things are moving fast now, but, hey… we have many years left to enjoy our time together,” he says.

“Wow, Dan. I’m actually really glad you can see it that way,” Phil says with a smile. He bites his lip slightly before slowly leaning over and kissing Dan. The kiss lasts for a few moments before Phil pulls away. “So, are we really doing this?” He takes a deep breath.

“I can’t think of a better time,” Dan whispers.

Phil stands up and walks over to his door, locking it. He definitely didn’t plan for his first time with Dan to end up like this. He wanted to make it more romantic, but there’s no time for romance at a time like this.

Phil looks over and sees Dan already sitting on the bed. He hesitates before walking back over to the bed and crawling over to Dan. “I’ve never done this before… but I know what to do.”

“Well, I’ve never done this before nor do I know what to do. I apologize in advance if I disappoint you.”

Phil chuckles and shakes his head. “You could never disappoint me, Dan,” he whispers.

“That’s good to know,” Dan replies with a blush.

Phil smiles, and then he slowly leans down and he captures Dan’s lips with his own in a sweet kiss. “Okay, just relax,” he whispers. “I promise I’ll take care of you.”

Dan looks up at Phil and takes a deep breath before slowly nodding. “I trust you,” he whispers.

Phil kept to his word, and took care of Dan their first time having sex together. He was gentle and slow, and made sure Dan was okay the entire time. Dan just hopes that what they did actually works, because he wants to be able to carry Phil’s child while the king is still alive.

A week passes, and Phil’s checking on Dan again for any updates. He finds Dan outside in the garden.

“Feeling anything yet? I know it’s only been about a week but…” Phil begins.

“Nothing, really-” Dan shakes his head. “I mean, I felt kind of sick earlier but nothing really happened. Kathryn told me it takes a few weeks for anything to really start happening. Like, morning sickness.”

“Oh. Sorry I keep asking you. I’m just… I’m so nervous.” Phil takes a deep breath.

“That’s okay, you have every right to be nervous. I am too.” Dan chuckles, and then he sighs. “I just… God, I just don’t want to let anyone down. A lot of people are looking to me for this to work. I’m the one who’s able to get pregnant and have a child. I really want to make your dad happy.”

“I know and I appreciate that, but… please remember that it’s not all about my dad. Yes, this is my dad main reason why we’re doing this, but like you said. You’re the one who’s going to be carrying the child. It’s about you too. I want you to be just as happy,” Phil tells him, gently pulling Dan closer.

Dan smiles, and wraps an arm around Phil’s neck. “I am happy,” he whispers before kissing Phil.

Phil chuckles as he pulls away from the kiss. “Wow. Who would have thought that we’d actually be here? After how we started? I didn’t think we’d get past that…”

“Hm. I wonder who’s fault _that_ is,” Dan says, smirking.

“Shut up,” Phil laughs and shoves him playfully. “I was stupid. At least I’ll admit it.”

“True,” Dan nods. “Can we go get something to eat? I’m starving!”

Phil chuckles. “Sure. Come on,” he says, grabbing Dan’s hand and then leading the way into the castle.

“I just can’t believe that I, villager Dan Howell, get to the live in the castle for the rest of my life.” Dan sighs when they make it to the kitchen. “I was so sure that people would hate me because I’m from the village. Turns out they hate me because I’m a boy who also likes boys.”

“Things will get better. I promise,” Phil says, looking over at Dan. “Dad and I are making it our mission to stop this homophobic hate. After seeing what they did to you, Dad changed his views.”

“Oh, well I’m glad it took me getting beaten up to change his views,” Dan mumbles.

“Hey.” Phil reaches over and he gently pushes Dan playfully. “He’s traditional, like most royal families are. He, and myself, just needed some pushing. We want to make things equal for everybody.”

“Well, I’m glad something’s being done about it at least. Thank you.” he kisses Dan’s cheek.

Over the next few weeks, Dan starts noticing some changes. Morning sickness starts becoming a frequent thing for him. He knows what it probably means. Dan just can’t believe it’s real.

“Are you done yet?” Phil asks, knocking on the door. “What’s taking so long?”

“Stop rushing me!” Dan shouts from the inside of the bathroom.

Phil chuckles, and then he sighs. “Blame my mum. She’s the one who keeps coming in here and checking to see if there’s any news. Everybody’s on edge.” It goes silent for a moment. “Dan?”

The door slowly opens, and Dan looks up at Phil like he’s just seen a ghost.

“Dan?” Phil asks, taking a deep breath. “A-Are you…?”

Dan holds up the pregnancy test, which is showing positive. “First time. It actually worked,” he whispers.

“Oh my God,” Phil breathes, shocked. “Oh my God!” He laughs and then he flings his arms around Dan, spinning him around. “It actually worked! You’re pregnant!”

Dan laughs as he holds onto Phil tightly. “Phil! I’m going to get dizzy!”

Phil places Dan back on his feet and kisses him. “Thank you, Dan,” he breathes. “Thank you so much. Come on, we have to go tell Dad the good news. Mum is going to be so excited.” He grabs Dan’s hand and then he leads the way to the hospital. Once they get there, he sees his mom walking out of the room. But when Phil sees the look on her face, he knows that something is wrong. “Mum?”

Kathryn looks up at Phil and shakes her head. “He’s gone,” she whispers.

Phil stares at her, his eyes widening with shock. “Y-You mean…?” He asks. “No, he can’t be…”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. We knew he was going to make it for much longer,” Kathryn whispers.

“B-But… the doctor said that we still had a few more weeks with him. Wh-Why would they lie?”

Dan frowns and then he grabs a hold of his arm with one hand and gently rubs Phil’s back with the other. “I’m so sorry, Phil,” he whispers. His heart aches for Phil and Kathryn. He didn’t know the King very long, but he knew that the King was a great man. He did a lot to help him and his family.

Phil looks over at Dan before looking at Kathryn. “But, we were going to tell him. Dan’s pregnant.”

Kathryn looks over at Dan and smiles. “Dan, that’s great news!” She reaches over and hugs him, and then pulls away. “Even though you didn’t get to tell him personally, I know that he knows, and he would have been just as excited to hear that there will be a future prince, to know the tradition is continuing.”

“I just wish Dad would have been able to meet the baby,” Phil whispers. He takes a deep breath, and looks up at his mom. “Can I go see him? One last time? I-I just want to say goodbye to him.”

“Of course, sweetheart-” Kathryn reaches over and opens the door, allowing Phil to walk inside.

Dan bites his lip as he watches Phil. He wants to go in with him to comfort him, but he knows that it would probably be best for Phil to say goodbye to his dad alone.

It was hard to celebrate Dan’s pregnancy after the passing of the King.

While Phil has to deal with things back at the castle and kingdom, Dan decides to go back to the village, with Phil’s permission, to tell his mother the good news. Louise decides to tag along. There’s security, but Phil also agreed it would be better if Dan has a friend to go with him as well.

“Mum! It’s so good to see you again.” Dan smiles as he hugs his mom tightly. “Mum, this is my friend, Louise. She works at the castle.” He looks over at Louise and smiles.

“Ah, yes. Dan has told us all about you in his letters that he sent us.”

“Good thing I hope,” Louise jokes before hugging Dan’s mom. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Howell.”

“Oh please dear. You can call me Diana.” she smiles. “Please, come have a seat.”

Dan and Louise follow Diana into the lounge, where they sit at one of the empty tables. “So…”

“Mum, there’s something I need to tell you. Is Dad around?” Dan asks.

“Actually, he’s out now with your brother running errands, but he will be back very soon,” Diana tells him. “We received the news that the King passed away. It was so shocking.”

“Yes, we were all devastated. We were expecting it, but we thought we had more time.” Dan sighs sadly. “Phil’s handling it like a champ though. He’s going to make a great king.”

Diana smiles. “I’m sure of it,” she says. “I can’t imagine anyone better as your soulmate.”

“Speaking of, actually.” Dan takes a deep breath, glancing at Louise quickly before looking at his mom. “How would you feel if I told you that… you were going to be a grandma?”

Diana frowns slightly, and then her eyes light up with excitement. “Dan! You’re expecting?”

Dan smiles and nods. “Yes, me and Phil… we found out a few days ago when the King passed,” he says. “I wanted to tell you in person. Phil’s busy right now so, now was the perfect time to tell you.”

“This wonderful news, Daniel!” Diana exclaims. “I can’t wait to meet the little one.”

“Yeah, just nine months to go-” Dan laughs. “It’s gonna be a long pregnancy, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure these nine months will fly by, and before you know it… you’ll be holding your beautiful baby-?”

“We don’t know the gender yet. I’m only a few weeks in,” Dan informs her.

“Ah, well. Whatever the gender, I’m sure you’ll have him or her in your arms soon.” Diana smiles.

It’s a nice trip to his family’s home. He stays for about a day, wanting to see his brother and dad first before he left. He’s able to tell them the news about the pregnancy. They’re both shocked, but supportive.

“There’s my beautiful, pregnant husband!”

Dan laughs as Phil throws his arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Phil!”

“I’m sorry, am I hurting you?” Phil asks, instantly pulling away from the hug worriedly.

Dan chuckles. “No, I’m fine. I missed you too,” he says, kissing Phil. “Did you get any work done?”

“I’m proud to say that gay marriage is officially now legal, and anyone who harrasses gay people will be punished.” Phil grins, earning a gasp from Dan. See? Told you it was going to be the first thing I took care of once I became king. I know the people down in the kingdom won’t be very happy about this change. But, it’s time that things do starting to change around here.”

“Oh, Phil.” Dan throws his arms around Phil and hugs him tightly. “Thank you so much. Now my brother will be able to grow up without having to worry about being teased or picked on.”

“Your brother?” Phil asks, pulling away from the hug.

“He came out to us when I visited. Apparently he has a boyfriend but I didn’t get to meet him. So, yeah… another trip to my family’s home is a must before I give birth,” Dan tells him.

“We can arrange that, I’m sure.” Phil chuckles. “Well, I’m glad I decided to change that rule now.”

“Yes, and our baby will grow up without having any worries. That is, if he or she turn out gay,” Dan says. “We’ll love him or her no matter what, right?”

“Hey, of course we will. Who do you think I am?” Phil asks, offended.

Dan laughs and kisses him once before hugging him again. “We should celebrate!”

“I agree we should.” Phil grabs Dan’s hand. “We’ll have a dinner tonight in the ballroom.”

“But, I thought the ballroom is only used for special occasions?” Dan asks curiously, tilting his head.

“I think celebrating our rights is a special occasions.” Phil grins. “We must tell the cooks!”

Dan laughs as Phil pulls him throughout the castle until they reach the castle.

Dan knew Phil would make a great king. Phil had been so worried he would let so many people down. But, Dan knows Phil only wants the best for all of the people, including the villagers. Not that King Michael didn’t care about the villagers, because he did. It just wasn’t his top priority.

Dan knew that Phil would make an even greater father as well. He showed it the night the baby was born.

“Let me see him! My husband is in there giving birth!” Phil yells angrily at the guard. He looks over when the door opens and sighs in relief when he sees his mother. “Mum-”

“Would you keep it down?” Kathryn asks, a smile forming on her face.

Phil blinks a few times as he stares at her, before his eyes widen. “Oh my God. Did he-?”

“Come in. There’s someone who wants to meet you,” Kathryn says softly as she allows Phil into the room. She steps aside to give Dan and Phil a moment alone with each other.

Dan looks up from admiring the baby in his arms, and smiles when he sees Phil. “Your majesty.” he grins.

“Shut up. You know you don’t have to call me that,” Phil mumbles before making his way over to Dan, looking down at the baby in his arms. “Wow. That’s our baby?”

“Mhm. He’s so beautiful, Phil. I’m already so in love with him.” Dan smiles. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Yes. I-I would. I mean, are you sure? You’ve spent all night giving birth to him-”

“I’ll have many more years to be able to hold him. Please, he’s your son too, I want you to hold him, Phil-” Dan pushes himself up, and then he carefully places the baby in Phil’s arms. “Careful. Hold his head up.”

Phil rolls his eyes. “Have you no faith in me?” He asks jokingly, before looking down at the baby. “Wow. Dan, he looks exactly like you. Absolutely gorgeous.”

Dan smiles. “So, I finally decided on a name,” he says.

“Oh, yeah? And… what did you decide on? We’ve been trying to figure a name out for months,” Phil says, not taking his eyes away from the baby in his arms.

“So, what do you think of the name Lucas?” Dan asks, biting his lip slightly.

Phil looks over at Dan, and grins. “I think that’s a beautiful name,” he whispers, leaning down to kiss Dan, and then he looks back down at Lucas. “Prince Lucas Flynn Lester, welcome to the world little one. Together, we will rule and make this kingdom a better place.”

saturday · 12:10pm 0 notes  
#phanfiction#phanfic#phan#au#angst#angstwithahappyending#fluff#comfort#mpreg#parents#soulmates


End file.
